Over-moisturising can lead to inflamed tattoos and potentially infection. Excess moisture can clog your skin's pores which prevents it from breathing, something that's important for your skin to heal. This can lead to breakouts on the skin that can damage the tattoo.
A good sign is if you start to see a rash, pimples, or the tattoo is bubbling from trapped moisture. Also, when putting lotion/moisturizer on, if your skin is looking shiny or wet, then you are over moisturizing. You only need a thin layer and you can pat, don't rub, away excess with a clean paper towel.
Over moisturizing your tattoo can damage it by causing ink to lift out, prolong the healing process, and cause clogged pores (which like I mentioned above, can cause damage to your tattoo when it's healing fresh like this).
In the event of over-moisturising your skin for a period of time, you could notice your skin becoming bumpy, clogged pores, breakouts, and even dry spots. How to Moisturise Your Skin Without Over Moisturising?
Also, your product should last you a few months, not a few weeks—using up product quickly indicates you might be using too much. Some signs that you may be over-moisturizing are clogged pores, blackheads, bumpy skin, and excess oil.
If you aren't sure whether or not the tattoo is dry, remove the bandage and gently pull at your skin. Your skin will still be sensitive, but you should feel a slight sensation of tightness. Some people describe it as parched skin that feels like it is on the verge of slightly cracking.
"The most important thing to remember during tattoo aftercare is to always keep a balance in hydration," says Ladna. "Moisturize your tattoo, but don't overdo it. A thin layer of cream is enough, and it's better to apply it more frequently in thin layers."
Over-moisturizing can also cause the ink to blur and fade. When there is too much moisture in the skin, it can cause the ink to spread and blur the lines of the tattoo.
You can pat the tattoo gently with a clean paper towel, but you must let the tattoo dry, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes after each cleaning. Any extra moisture trapped by immediately covering the tattoo is an invitation for bacteria to multiply.
A thin layer is strongly suggested, too much aquaphor can pull out the ink and damage the quality of the tattoo, which results in a higher chance the tattoo will need a touch-up.
Tattoo cracking is when your whole tattoo gets dry, and the top layer begins to crack. It can look like the parched ground in the desert heat, the pattern of a turtle shell, or alligator skin.
Until the surface of the tattoo is healed (at a minimum of two to three weeks), wash the area gently 2-3 times per day. After cleaning the tattoo during this two to three week period, gently apply a thin coat of a lotion-based care product. We recommend After Inked tattoo moisturizer and aftercare lotion.
Over-the-Counter Treatments. Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid-based creams can help reduce inflammation and kill bacteria. However, it's crucial to select products specifically formulated for tattooed skin to avoid any adverse effects.
If you've recently gotten a tattoo, but it appears blurry and smudged during and after the healing process, you may be experiencing tattoo blowout. "A blowout is when a tattoo expands below the skin layer when it hits fat [and] veins or when scarring occurs," says Crys.
Aftercare & Aging
Fine line tattoos are applied with less ink. While the ink is still embedded in the second layer of skin, the single needle does not penetrate as deeply or deposit as much ink. As a result, it is common for fine line tattoos to fade with age.
As the excessive moisture is the reason why the tattoo is not healing properly, stop moisturizing immediately. Remove the excess cream and dry the tattoo naturally - After showering, use a soft towel to gently pat dry the tattoo and remove the excess cream. Afterwards, leave it for 15 to 30 minutes to dry naturally.
Persistent redness: Skin shouldn't stay red for weeks or start to darken or spread. Green or yellow fluid: Pus oozing from your tattoo is a sign of infection. Persistent swollen skin: Skin on or around the tattoo shouldn't look puffy for weeks, which indicates an allergy to tattoo ink.
Use the Aquaphor for the first 2-3 days then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand. 5. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be DABBED with a clean paper towel.
Increased Sebum Production
If you have naturally oily skin, you may experience even oilier skin when you over-moisturize. Excess moisture may throw your sebum production even further off balance, resulting in insanely oily skin. Unfortunately, excess oil on your face can cause unwanted clogged pores and breakouts.
Signs that you may be suffering from moisture overload are if your hair feels excessively soft and mushy, if you're noticing that your curl pattern is looser, or if your hair strands stretch but don't revert or bounce back. It can also lead to excessive split ends, limp or dull hair, a lack of volume, and more.
What happens if you moisturize too much? Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Applying a bit too much of a good face moisturizer may not necessarily damage your skin, but it can make it feel greasy and sticky. And as previously mentioned, it can lead to excess oil on the surface and attract dirt and grime.